Chapter 87 She came with a message because she was seriously ill; something terrible must have happened! ...
The past between Princess Yongjia and Wenxuan was something that could never be mentioned in the palace. According to Consort Yao, it was because of Princess Yongjia's foolish actions when she was young and her mind was not yet mature.
After Crown Prince Yu's death, Shen Yujiao rarely entered the palace again. Her long-term residence in Jiangnan caused her to miss this event, and Shen Yujiao married into the palace late, so she was even more unaware of it.
When he was still a young child, Wenxuan often accompanied his father, Duke Wen, to the palace. Wenxuan was handsome, like a little fairy boy sitting under Guanyin, and unforgettable to all who saw him. At that time, Princess Yongjia was the emperor's most beloved daughter, and she immediately said she wanted him when she saw him.
This was the first time the emperor had ever been troubled by Princess Yongjia's request. In the past, the emperor had granted every request Princess Yongjia had made. Perhaps the only things in the world that the emperor could not give to his beloved daughter were the stars and the moon.
This matter caused the emperor to hesitate for a long time. On that day, when he was having a meal with the empress, he brought it up again. The empress was so shocked by his idea of giving a nobleman's son to Yongjia as a page that she was speechless for a long time. In her opinion, there was no need to hesitate at all.
If he were a palace slave or someone of low social status, that would be fine. Even a boy from a commoner family could be negotiated with for a large sum of money. But Wen Xuan's identity is special; he is not an ordinary scion of a noble family.
Although Duke Wenguo did not have any great political achievements in court, he made great contributions when the emperor ascended the throne. As a member of a noble family, he took the lead in supporting the emperor, which gave the emperor the help of his clan at the most critical moment.
The emperor was actually troubled by Princess Yongjia's family background...
The Empress felt it was incredibly foolish, but she couldn't say it outright. She repeatedly explained the pros and cons to the Emperor, which finally made him abandon this absurd idea.
For the first time in her life, her request was rejected by her father, the Emperor. This stirred up rebellious feelings in Princess Yongjia's heart. From then on, whenever Wenxuan entered the palace again, Princess Yongjia would rush to his side upon hearing the news, and no matter what the occasion, she would insist that Wenxuan sit next to her.
When Consort Yao learned of this, she was so angry that she was almost in a coma. It was fortunate that the emperor doted on Princess Yongjia; otherwise, if it had been anyone else, she would have been reprimanded by the emperor and become infamous in the capital.
For the sake of her daughter's reputation, Consort Yao repeatedly forbade her from seeing Wenxuan again. However, the more she was forbidden, the more Princess Yongjia missed Wenxuan. As time went by, this childhood possessiveness turned into the romantic longing of a young girl.
Although the palace staff kept quiet about it due to the emperor's and Consort Yao's orders, Princess Yongjia's commotion back then was enormous, and many people still remember it.
Now that the emperor has bestowed one of his daughters' sweethearts upon another daughter as her husband, it's no wonder that both sides are dissatisfied. However, things are different now; the one who dares to cause trouble is none other than the usually quiet Princess Yongxian.
The palace has been in turmoil these days, and things haven't calmed down outside either.
Since the palace banquet on the second day of the lunar new year, no large-scale banquets have been held in the palace. The princes no longer need to go to the palace every day, so they hold banquets in their mansions outside the palace. The Huan Prince's mansion is always bustling with activity, while the Han Prince's mansion is mostly filled with literati and celebrities. The Tai Prince's mansion is the most luxurious, and it is said that there are several classes of singers, dancers and musicians.
Such behavior was made completely undisguised by the group, with their factionalism and self-interest laid bare. What was even more surprising was that the emperor did not interfere at all. Whether he tacitly approved of it or simply didn't care, the emperor's attitude only fueled the already heated atmosphere in the princes' residences.
The Emperor's heart is now entirely devoted to Fu Hui Palace. Consort Rong's health is deteriorating, and the atmosphere in the palace is becoming increasingly tense. In the past, the concubines competed to outshine each other, and the harem was like a garden of a hundred flowers. It was not exactly lively, but it was still thriving every day. But now, this garden of a hundred flowers seems to have entered a cold season, and everywhere it reveals a sense of desolation.
So much so that every time Shen Yujiao entered the palace, she could feel the impending storm brewing.
Since returning to the palace, Yong'an's personality has become increasingly withdrawn. Even when Shen Yujiao comes to Kunyi Palace, she rarely reacts. Consort Rong's health has deteriorated to a certain extent. In Fuhui Palace, besides the Emperor and Empress, Princess Yong'an is also allowed to enter and leave, but Yong'an has never been there.
People outside are saying that the emperor can only have eyes for Consort Rong, but only Jiang Chen and Shen Yujiao know that the lights in the imperial study are kept on every night for Jiang Chen and the Minister of Works.
While the adults were locked in a tense struggle, Shen Yujiao couldn't help but worry about Yong'an. Her frail mother had always been a source of anxiety for her. If Consort Rong had survived this time, all would be well; but if she had died, it would have been Yong'an's greatest regret in life!
Shen Yujiao thought about this matter for a long time. The imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital were undoubtedly skilled, but if even they were helpless, it could only mean that Consort Rong's illness was very difficult to treat. For this reason, she secretly inquired about the matter from the Empress's side for several days.
The Empress had seen through her plan early on. Because of her daughter-in-law's kindness, the Empress was quite helpless. But seeing that Shen Yujiao was really determined to find out the truth, she stopped hiding it and told her directly that Consort Rong's illness was indeed an accident caused by them.
Upon learning that Consort Rong was indeed seriously ill, Shen Yujiao breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't afraid that she was truly seriously ill, but rather that there might be other hidden reasons. If either the Emperor or the Empress had any thoughts about Consort Rong's illness, then even a cold could be fatal.
Since it's not an incurable disease, then we should try to find a way to treat it. She had promised Yong'an that she couldn't bear to watch Consort Rong die before her eyes.
But what exactly was the disease that left the imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital helpless?
When Shen Yujiao followed the Empress into Fuhui Palace, if the Consort Rong she saw last time was a sickly beauty clinging to life, then this time she saw a lifeless rag doll.
Seeing her shocked expression, the Empress recounted the events of that day to her, word by word. Shen Yujiao finally learned the whole story of what happened that day, and she was filled with fear of the cannibalistic nature of the harem.
No wonder the emperor confined Consort Yao and Consort Qi to the palace, forbidding them from leaving. If it weren't for each of them having a good son, they probably would have lost their positions long ago.
"So she is now...?"
"Still alive, but... I'm afraid he won't last much longer."
Consort Rong's health was already extremely poor, and now only the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital were working together to keep her alive. The physicians said that Consort Rong still had attachments and was unwilling to leave, but this willpower alone could not last long. In order to maintain the status quo, the money spent by Fu Hui Palace every day was like water flowing away.
Shen Yujiao was completely supported by Mu Jin as she walked out of the palace gate. She dared not recall Rong Zhaoyi's condition at that time. No wonder Yong'an had not visited her even though her body was already in such a state.
As long as they haven't met, both Consort Rong and Yong'an still have hope. But if they do meet...
This is probably the telepathic connection between mother and daughter, or perhaps the Empress also felt a maternal affection for Yong'an.
Besides that, there's the appalling expense of the Fu Hui Palace. Consort Rong is practically a vegetable now. In this era, one can only imagine the money and effort required to keep her alive.
Shen Yujiao stumbled, feeling somewhat dazed. For a moment, she even began to doubt her own assumptions.
She originally thought that the emperor's affection for Consort Rong was a mixture of using and genuine love, but given the current situation, Consort Rong's life was no longer of much meaning. Shen Yujiao did not believe that the emperor was keeping Consort Rong alive because he still cared about his daughter, Yong'an.
"Crown Princess, shall we return to the palace?"
"Hmm..." Shen Yujiao nodded subconsciously, and then Mu Jin helped her into the carriage.
She couldn't quite figure out the intricacies of the palace, but right now the most important thing was to save Consort Rong's life. As she sat in the carriage, deep in thought, she suddenly remembered the time she fainted. When she woke up, she saw Jiang Chen bowing to a doctor with white hair and a youthful face.
"Luqiu...where did this person come from?"
She later asked Jiang Chen about it, but Jiang Chen only said that he didn't know who had helped her. Under the circumstances, he couldn't possibly abandon Shen Yujiao to question Doctor Luqiu, so the matter was left unresolved.
But now that I think about it... when they first entered the Great Xia Dynasty, apart from the Emperor and Empress, there were other people in the capital who could help them find famous doctors. It seems that only one person cared about whether Shen Yujiao lived or died.
Jiang Yu.
“Mujin,” Shen Yujiao grasped Mujin’s hand and then instructed, “Go to the Huan Prince’s residence in person and tell him that I have important matters to discuss with the Huan Prince and it is inconvenient for me to visit him. If it is convenient for the Huan Prince, please come to Tianxiang Tower for a chat.”
"Your Highness!"
Mu Jin suddenly looked at Shen Yujiao, her eyes revealing a hint of sadness, and she shook her head slightly.
Not to mention how furious His Highness the Crown Prince would be after he found out about this, just thinking about the relationship between their Crown Princess and Prince Huan... Mu Jin broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. Wasn't the stumble that Miss suffered at the hands of the First Prince enough to prevent them from ever seeing each other again for the rest of their lives?
"Little Jin'er, don't worry, I really do have something to discuss with him."
Shen Yujiao didn't give Mu Jin another chance to refuse. The carriage stopped on the long street behind the Prince Huan's mansion. Mu Jin put on her veil, walked around the path, and went to the west side of the mansion, where she knocked on the side gate.
Who are you?
The gatekeeper wasn't on duty today; he was a woodcutter in the woodshed. If the gatekeeper hadn't been drunk today, he wouldn't have come to cover for him.
The West Corner Gate, which was usually deserted, had become even less frequented due to the numerous banquets held in the mansion these past few days. It was assumed that nothing would go wrong, but a young woman came to knock on the door.
"Please trouble you, young sir, to inform Lord Shan that I am looking for him."
"Okay, wait a moment."
The servant pretended to close the door quickly, but his heart was pounding. He had no idea who the visitor was and had rashly agreed. He regretted his quick tongue, but his subconscious reaction was obvious.
As the servant wandered through the paths of the Prince's mansion, he was still torn about whether or not to truthfully inform Lord Jianshan. But when he reached the back door of the banquet hall, his heart finally settled.
Lord Jianshan was a close confidant of King Huan, so if someone wanted to see him, it must be something important. He couldn't afford to delay, so he sent someone to inform Lord Jianshan.
In the banquet hall, the officials were drinking with King Huan. Some of the young men had already drunk too much and started gesturing wildly and talking big. King Zhao sat next to King Huan and deflected the wine cups offered to him, knowing that King Huan did not like such occasions.
King Huan sat in the main seat, and no matter who spoke to him, he always appeared calm and composed. He treated everyone with the demeanor of a gentleman, gentle and refined, as if he had everything under control. Just his presence alone gave confidence to everyone in the hall.
"Your Highness."
Jianshan respectfully nodded to King Zhao, then whispered a few words to King Huan. Upon hearing this, King Huan's expression changed, and without regard for the fact that the banquet was only halfway through, he got up to leave.
"Brother, where are we going?"
"I... Ajin, there's new news from the Northern Frontier. I need to go there first. You stay here and take care of the lords for me, is that alright?"
Meeting King Huan's expectant gaze, King Zhao nodded emphatically without hesitation. He said to King Huan, "Brother, please go ahead. I'll take care of things here."
"Hard."
Before King Huan could explain to King Zhao in detail, he patted him on the shoulder, stood up, and bowed to the assembled officials, saying, "Gentlemen, I am a little drunk. I will go to the back to change my clothes first. Please allow me to leave the table."
Few of the officials present were still sober. When King Huan turned to leave, the scene became chaotic. It was King Zhao who managed to stand up, raise his wine cup, and walk to each of the officials to offer them a toast.
The noise behind him gradually faded away, and Jiang Yu's steps became more and more hurried. If A Jiao could send someone to deliver a message to him, something serious must have happened!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
